Brush holder and wiper



Dec. 13, 1966 T. w. JENKINS 3,291,337

BRUSH HOLDER AND WIPER Filed Sept. 8, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Tobie W. Jenkins lah/46% ATTORNEY Dec. 13, 1966 3 T. w. JENKINS BRUSH HOLDER AND WIPER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 8, 1964 INVENTOR. Tobie W. Jenkins ATT RN Y United States Patent 3,291,337 BRUSH HOLDER AND WIPER Tobie W. Jenkins, 3330 Ash St., Denver, Colo. Filed Sept. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 394,741 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-90) This invention relates to improvements in a combined brush holder and wiper which is arranged for attachment on various sizes of paint cans, paint roller trays and the like.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a simple and inexpensive one-piece wire brush holder and wiper arranged to fit various sizes of paint cans, paint roller trays, and the like.

It is another object of the invention to provide a wire paint brush holder and wiper which is arranged to fit various sizes of paint cans in several positions, for variously holding a paint brush whereby the brush holder may be held on the lip around the can opening or held by the handle bosses.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wire brush holder and wiper which is arranged to pry off the lids of the cans on which it is to be used.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a brush holder for attachment to a paint roller tray for supporting a brush out of the paint but juxtaposed above the tray so that it may drip into the tray.

A further object of the invention is to provide a brush holder and wiper which can be used for clamping the brush on a can with its bristles over the can opening or for merely supporting it in resting position above the mouth of the can.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention may be readily ascertained by referring to the following description and appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a wire brush holder and wiper according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one method of use of the brush holder according to the invention showing its arrangement for clamping a brush on a paint can;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another position of the brush holder of the invention mounted on the lip of a paint can for supporting a brush resting thereon; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a holder according to the invention arranged on a paint roller tray for supporting a paint brush above the bottom of said tray.

In a preferred form of the invention, as shown in the drawings, the brush holder and wiper is formed of a single piece of heavy gauge wire arranged to fit various sizes of cans and trays. The device, FIGS. 1 and 2, includes a length of wire which has a straight central section 1 positioned intermediate the ends of the wire. At each end of the straight section is a curve or bend and which bends the wire at an acute angle from the line of the straight section. These bends 2 and 3 may extend up to about a 90 bend, depending upon the size of the container on which it is to be used. Following the bend 2 and 3 at each end thereof, the wire is bent in second bends 4 and 5 which are at an approximate 90 bend. The wire 6 and 7 depending from these bends extend back substantially parallel to the line of the straight section 1. The length of the short straight sections 6 and 7 following the bends 4 and 5, respectively, are determined by the size of the holder to be made. In a very useful size the straight section 1 is about 4 inches and the straight sections 6 and 7 are approximately /2 inch.

Following the straight sections 6 and 7, each end of the wire is bent into an additional curve 8 and 9 at each 3,291,337 Patented Dec. 13, 1966 end thereof which is bent at an acute angle out of the line of straight sections 6 and '7. These bends 8 and 9 are in substantially the same plane as the bends 2, 4 and 3, 5. Following the bends 8 and 9 at each end is a straight section 10 and 11, respectively, each of which extends outwardly and in substantially the same plane as the other bends. The wire following the straight sections 10 and 11 is then curved in a curve of a radius which is substantially greater than the radius of bends 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9. These bends 12 and 13 are at approximately to the plane of the remainder of the curves 2, 4, 8 and 3, 5, 9. With the straight section 1 and the adjacent depending bends lying flat on a surface, the curves 12 and 13 extend upwardly therefrom. A straight section of wire 14 and 15 extends beyond each arcuate curve 12 and 13, respectively, in the same plane as the curve and extending outwardly away from the straight section 11. The curves 12 and 13 are not complete reverse curves. The end of the wire at each end is then recurved in a substantially complete circle, leaving a short distance from end 19, FIG. 2, from the wire portion 15 from which the curve emanates. The curves 16 and 17 are in the same plane as the curves 12 and 13 so that, in effect, the ends of the wires are at about 90 from the plane of the center section of the wire.

For identification purposes a metal tab or tag 25 is placed around one of the arcuate curves 12 and 13 and with printing, decals, etc., provides identification. The tags or tabs are affixed in conventionalmanner. The opposite loop 12 may be used to pry off the can cover.

The wire is used in one form, shown in FIG. 3, where the end loops are placed around the can handle bosses, for example loop 17, is placed around the handle boss 27, which is the member extending outwardly from a can 28 for supporting a handle 29. Each loop of the brush holder is placed around its respective boss so that the straight edge 1 extends across the top and slightly below the lip of the can 28. The handle of a brush 30, also brushes much smaller than that shown, may be placed under the loop 13 with its bristle section in position to drip into the can. This permits handy storage of one brush on the can while using another. The length of the stright portions 14 and 15 is sufficient so that the holder may be rotated about the handle bosses to release the brush and, also, to permit the can lid to be replaced without removal of the brush holder. The straight portion 1 may be used to Wipe the brush so that excess paint drips into the can and not into the cap holding groove on the top of the can.

With larger size pails or buckets which do not have a circular boss or which are sufiiciently wide as to prevent the holder from being stretched across it, the device may be hung over the lip. In such position it still supports a brush in position over the can and where it also provides a brush wiper. As shown in FIG. 4 a can or pail 35 is provided with a handle 36 mounted in handle brackets 37, only one of which is shown. The brush holder is mounted by the loops 16 and 17 hooked over the lip of the pail with the straight section inside and below the rim of the pail. In this manner the brush 30 may be extended from one side of the lip to the stright section 1 and be supported in the pail so that it drips in the pail.

The brush holder may, also, be used in paint roller trays, as shown in FIG. 5, wherein a paint roller tray 40 has legs 41 for supporting it in a tilted position. The holder is mounted on the tray by having the loops 16 and 17 hooked over the rear edge 43. In this position the straight section 1 is spaced above the bottom of the pan so that the brush 30 may bridge from the rear edge of the tray to the wire section 1 with the bristles 31 out of the, paint and off of the bottom of the tray and in a position to '3 drip into the tray. In this position the straight section 1 is high enough from the bottom to permit wiping the brush in the tray so that the paint does not drip over "the edge as would occur if the brush were wiped on the edge of the tray.

While the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment, there is no intent to limit the spirit or the scope of the invention to the precise details so set forth except as defined in the following claim.

I claim:

As an article of manufacture, a paint-brush-holder and bristle-wiper arranged to be used with a variety of sizes of paint cans, paint roller trays, and the like, and adapted for both brush-clamping and brush-supporting cooperation with paint cans of the type having equispaced, generally, circular, bail-supporting bosses, a single continuous length of wire bent and curved to form an inter-connected series of sections, substantially symmetrical about a vertical bisector thereof, and comprised of:

(A) an elongate first straight section as an intermediate element (1) arranged to be suspended below the lip of a paint can upon which the article is mounted;

(B) each respective opposed end of the intermediate element having two sequential bends (2, 4, 3 and 5 at substantially right angles to each other, all said bends (2, 4, 3 and 5) being in a common vertical plane with the intermediate section (1) and interconnecting the intermediate element between two oppositely-extending second straight sections (6, 7);

(C) said second straight sections (6, 7) being in a common plane substantially parallel to the horizontal plane in which the intermediate element (1) rests, said straight sections (6, 7) being substantially smaller than the intermediate element (1),

(i) said second straight sections (6, 7) arranged to seat on the lip of a paint can when the article is in use therewith;

(D) each said second straight section (6, 7) terminating in an upwardly-directed bend (8, 9) interconnecting a said second straight section to a third straight section (10, 11),

(i) a said bend (8, 9) interconnecting a second 4 and third straight section being at an angle obtuse to a said second straight section,

(ii) each said third straight section lying in the same common vertical plane as the second straight sections (6, 7) and the intermediate element (1);

(E) each said third straight section (10, 11) interconnected through an additional bend (12, 13) with a fourth straight section (14, 15)

(i) each said fourth straight section (14, 15) being longer than a third straight section (10, 11) with which it is interconnected and in a vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the vertical plane in which a said third straight section appears,

(iii) a said fourth straight section (14, 15 being of sufficient length as to allow a terminal portion thereof (16, 17) to be seated about a bailboss (27) of a paint can when a second straight section is resting on the rim of a said paint can;

(F) each said fourth straight section having a terminal portion in the form of a substantially closed but partially open loop (16, 17

(i) a said loop being open sufiicient to allow hooking cooperation with a circular bail-boss, a can rim, or an upstanding edge of a roller paint tray.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 124,928 3/ 1872 Bailey 220 2,196,614 4/ 1940 Spitz 220-90 2,452,025 10/1948 Dunn 248-110 2,466,850 5/ 1949 Hoffman et al 2481l0 2,842,287 7/1958 Cornwell 220 2,932,838 4/1960 Quellette 248-l 10 3,061,140 10/1962 Barnes 220-9O THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

RAPHAEL H. SCHWARTZ, LOUIS G. MANCENE,

Examiners. 

